By Jackie Varriano / The Seattle Times
A few years ago, a woman I have slowly tricked into becoming my best friend moved from Green Lake to Edmonds. It’s only 20 minutes from where I live in North Seattle, but sometimes distance feels bigger than it actually is — ask anyone who drives around Seattle at rush hour.
At first, she joked that her neighbors had nicknamed her new city “Deadmonds,” but she prevailed in enticing me to visit. Now, there are several places strewn across Edmonds to which I would willingly drive any day of the week, at any time, to meet her. Some are Edmonds standbys while others are relative newcomers. From doughnuts for breakfast to sushi for dinner, here are four absolute winners worth a food lover’s day trip to Edmonds, organized by mealtime.
Breakfast
Edmonds Bakery
418 Main St., Edmonds; 425-778-6811, edmondsbakery.com
It’s impossible not to be impressed by the hundreds of cookie jars that line the walls at this century-old downtown bakery. This is no stuffy patisserie. Edmonds Bakery is all about friendliness and the kind of cozy pastries you’d get with your parents growing up, back when you could freely swing your legs under the benches anchored into the front windows of the shop. There are big, brightly frosted sugar cookies, trays filled with fluffy yeasted doughnuts and a couple of delicacies I’ve never seen anywhere else. Take the Chicken Bone ($2.75), a long, yeasted doughnut rolled in glaze and coconut flakes to resemble a fried chicken drumstick. The glaze isn’t too thick and the coconut was sparse enough that it didn’t feel overwhelming.
There’s also a Flip ($4), which is an amazing Frankenstein of a pastry that feels simultaneously like a kouign-amann and a hand pie while looking like a crêpe. Filled with your choice of apple or cherry compote, the Flip has a crackly bottom of caramelized sugar and a buttery, flaky, sugar-dusted top with sweet apple or cherry filling in the middle, amid a few more layers of pastry.
Lunch
La Casa De Amigos
9643 Firdale Ave., Edmonds; 425-510-9324, lacasadeamigos.com
At the edge of the Firdale Village parking lot, this food truck specializes in Honduran food. I got an enthusiastic tip from a reader to check it out and dragged my friend there for lunch one recent afternoon.
Like Edmonds Bakery, there are familiar dishes on the menu here: tacos, tortas, burritos and fries smothered in carne asada and cheese. But there are also specialties that are unmissable, like the Honduran enchiladas ($13.59). Unlike enchiladas that feature filling rolled in a tortilla and baked, these are crisp tostadas topped with mashed potatoes, ground beef, shredded cabbage and salsa, served with a side of spicy purple curtido. These enchiladas are delicate, the crackling tostada almost buckling under the weight of its toppings. But wow are they great.
Ditto for the pastelitos ($13.59): crunchy fried pastries stuffed with beef or chicken and drizzled with a mayo-based house dressing that is light and tangy. We also tried the pollo con tajadas ($22.99), a deep-fried chicken leg and thigh served with fried green banana strips, curtido and cabbage salad. It’s a massive portion, more than enough to share or have for dinner. The chicken is moist and flavorful without being spicy. If you’re looking for spice, heap on the curtido, which adds a nice crunch from the raw onion and radish alongside spicy peppers.
We took our food to go, but if you’re looking to stick around, there is a small, fenced-in area with picnic tables and a few heaters.
Drinks
Bar Americano
612 Fifth Ave. S, Edmonds; drinkatbaramericano.com
One of my favorite spots to grab a drink in Edmonds is Daphnes — an adorable space where you occasionally must fight for a seat. Luckily, Bar Americano and its adjoining espresso bar, Il Viale, are operated by the Daphnes team. Before transforming into the moody, black-walled Bar Americano this past summer, this space was Hamburger Harry’s, and next to the 10-seat Daphnes, it seems almost comically huge, especially when adding in the expansive front patio.
Sadly, there are no longer fries on the menu, but you can get a bowl of Castelvetrano olives ($6) and a few other nibbles. Cocktails — like the bourbon-forward Let’s Stay Together — range from $13 to $15 and there are a few beers on tap. In addition to a ring of seats at the bar, there are tables and cozy couches in front, but the very best part of this bar are the two armchairs tucked in back, situated in front of a gas fireplace. There’s a small table between them for your drinks, and despite there being another small table nearby, this spot feels like the perfect place to gossip with a good friend or spend a few minutes with your partner.
Dinner
Kazoku
22618 Highway 99, Suite 103, Edmonds; 425-673-5477, kazokusushi.co
This Japanese restaurant opened in the Boo Han Plaza last fall, taking over the former Sushi Moto space. It’s a brightly lit, calming space with an expansive menu that includes everything from soba and katsu to tempura and sushi. There’s also two daily happy hours (2-4 p.m. and 8 p.m.-close), something I feel I haven’t seen in a few years. The California rolls ($10) are made with snow crab as a standard, and the Bobby roll ($18) is stuffed with Dungeness crab. There are sushi and sashimi sets, like the Beloved ($30), which features six pieces of sushi, your choice of a spicy tuna or California roll, and a bowl of miso soup. The fish is fresh and the sushi rice pleasantly firm and perfectly seasoned. The service is casual and kind. It’s the perfect way too end a foodie day trip to Edmonds.
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